Finfish Breeding and Hatchery Management

Unit 3 - Breeding of major carps

3.1.2. Dry bundh

• A typical dry bundh is a shallow, seasonal depression, having a bundh on one side and a catchment area on the other three sides.
• The bundh may be of varying shape and size and made of earthen wall or masonry wall.
• A dry bundh is smaller and shallower than a wet bundh which is bigger and deeper.
• The bundh gets flooded in monsoon, but remains completely dry for a considerable period during a year.
  
• It consists of a sluice gate for quickly draining the water and an outlet for the excess water to flow away. In dry bundhs, spawning sometimes takes place in deeper areas.

Technique of breeding major carps in a dry bundh

• The mature carp breeders which are raised in perennial ponds elsewhere are introduced into the bundh at 1:2 (Female: Male).
• The fish are left undisturbed for 2-3 days so that they get acclimatized to new environment.
• After this, 10-20% of the fish is given intramuscular injection of pituitary extract or ready–to-use spawning agents which are synthetic hormones.
• Water current is created in the bundh by drawing water from a store tank.
• The following morning, the spent breeders are removed, eggs collected, water drained and the bundh dried for 2-3 days.
• The bundh is then utilized for the next breeding by releasing a fresh batch of breeders.
• Five to six spawning are generally conducted in each bundh during one season as opposed to only one spawning in a wet bundh.
• Silver carp and grass carp have been successfully induced bred in bundhs without stripping.
• Sinha et al. (1979) have reported natural spawning of both grass carp and silver carp in a dry bundh of Bankura District where they were able to spawn the two species without stripping.
• They consider dry bundhs to be one of the reliable means of mass breeding of Chinese carps to meet the increasing demand of their seed.